


The Window

by starzandstrip3s



Category: Batman (1966), Batman (Comics), Batman (Movies 1989-1997), Batman - All Media Types, Batman: The Animated Series, The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)
Genre: Anxiety, Bad Parenting, Batman villains, Canon Backstory, DC Comics References, Gotham City - Freeform, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Inspired Character (s), Original Character(s), Poverty, Rogues Gallery, Short One Shot, Villains, batman rogues - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2020-01-16 17:32:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18526279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starzandstrip3s/pseuds/starzandstrip3s
Summary: Before immersing himself into the role of Gotham rogue "Zodiac" later in life, all eleven year old Ethan wanted on a Friday night was...well, even he didn't know for sure.





	The Window

Wrapping a blanket tighter around myself, I go to the nearby window and push it open. A warm gust of spring enters into the living room, along with the electric noise of the city below. I glance down at a taxi speeding through a yellow light down the street, and a homeless man begging for change. All seems quiet tonight, which could be an unpleasant sign of a crime in the works. Gothamites are used to that sort of routine, recognizing the signs with bored acknowledgement. However, I try to ignore that to instead take a breath, closing my eyes for a moment. It smells like greasy fries and exhaust, which is not the most pleasant, but at the same time is comforting.    

 

I pad back to the couch, hoping that letting in the fresh air will warm up the inside even a little bit. Someone will likely complain that the window being open will suffocate us in our sleep, because of all those fumes and whatever else we have yet to figure out that linger in the atmosphere. But, it will just be me, so until then I would rather not freeze. It’s Friday night, and there is not much to do. I finished all my homework, tidied the apartment, made some ramen for dinner, and watched a horror movie on some black and white channel. I’m not allowed to leave on my own to find something to do nearby, or meet up with a friend. Not like there is anyone to meet up with at the moment, but that’s not the point. I prefer to be on my own anyway, so that lack of an option is not the end of the world.

 

A commercial comes on, illuminating the room with blinding images of soap. Squinting, I remove my glasses and distract myself by wiping them carefully with my t-shirt.

 

All the books in here have been read before, all the bumps on the ceiling have been counted far more times than I would like, and until my birthday months from now there would be nothing new to obsessively build. I was hoping that the garage sale our building had last month might lead to a new LEGO set, but my mom shot that idea down before I got my hopes up. We got ice-cream sandwiches instead, which was kind of nice. Just my mom and I on the bench outside the corner store, in comfortable silence, with a comment here and there about whatever came to mind.

 

“You’ve gotten taller,” she said at one point, breaking my gaze on a bus loading passengers a few blocks away.

 

“What?” I repeated dumbly.

 

“You’re taller. When did that happen?”

 

I looked up at her, pink lipstick smirking back.

 

“Oh. Um, not sure. It just kind of happens over time, I guess.”

 

Her eyes looked down and away, her lips slowly falling back into a neutral expression.

 

“You okay?” I asked, quickly feeling ashamed for no obvious reason. “I didn’t mean to be rude- was just the best way to describe it, if-”

 

She huffed a laugh, putting a hand on my shoulder.

 

“Ethan, it’s fine.”

 

She opened her mouth to say something else, eyes focused on mine, but stopped herself quickly. With a nod, she stood up and tossed her wrapper into the garbage beside us.

 

“C’mon, I’ll walk you home before my shift starts.”

 

Didn’t see her for about four days after that.

 

I must have fallen asleep on the couch, because I’m startled awake by the doorknob jiggling. The door squeaks open, and my brothers shadow saunters in. I can tell it’s him because we are built the same way, except he’s taller. A bit more fit. Okay, and better looking, too.

 

He spots me peering at him over the arm of the couch and raises a brow.

 

“Hi.”

 

"Hey, Eric."

 

He kicks off his sneakers, making his way over to the fridge behind me. Pulling out the carton of orange juice, he takes a swig before putting it back and looking over the rest of the menu.

 

I wrinkle my nose, sitting up.

 

“That’s disgusting, have you done that with everything else?”

 

He shrugs, pulling out a TV dinner out of the freezer and flipping it over to examine it.

 

“That depends.”

 

“On _what_?”

 

“Are you back to drinking chocolate milk again?”

 

I groan, and he laughs to himself in reply. He shoves the box back, then stands there with hands in his pockets, looking out the window across the room.

 

“I was wondering why it was warmer in here than usual,” he muses.

 

“They couldn’t pay for some of this month, so overtime to make up for it.”

 

Eric glances over to me with a knowing look, and I sigh. “Again.”

 

He hums, then shakes his head.

 

“What kind of landlord turns off your heat when you’re on top of everything else? Greedy bastard.”

 

Changing the topic, I ask what I’ve been wondering since he came in.

 

“Where have you been?”

 

He looks at me skeptically, thinking out his answer.

 

“Just out.”

 

“For two weeks?”

 

“Yeah, with the boys.”

 

“Doing what?”

 

“Jesus, when did you get so fucking nosy?” he snaps with a roll of his eyes, “Living my life, that’s what. Went down to Manhattan for a little bit. Making some cash on the side.”

 

“Oh..okay.”

 

He relaxes, running a hand through his hair. I realize its a bit shorter than I remember, a fresh haircut.

 

“Look, just - mind your business and I’ll do the same for you.”

 

“But, I have no business.”

 

“I’m serious, Eth. Mom and Dad are cool with not talking about it, so it’s fine.”

 

Wanting to point out our parents have always been like that, I instead know better and just agree. Eric ends up ordering pizza, and we spend a couple hours playing board games afterwards until he says something about having a migraine and goes to his room. Not long later while in my room I hear the front door open and close again.

 

I get out of bed, feeling a tight and angry knot in my stomach. Just a quick walk is all that is needed. That’s it. Probably just indigestion after inhaling a second dinner, all that excitement.

 

Approaching the living room window, I bite the inside of my cheek.

 

I’m just tired. It’s been a long day, a stressful one. I’ll just close the window and go to bed. I’m used to the cold. It won’t be that bad. The cold will make it better.

 

It always does.

 

I grab the window and slam it down onto the sill, rattling the glass.

 

The sound on the other side is muted again. Turning on my heel, I drag myself back to bed, the faint wail of a siren not far behind.  


End file.
